WRITTEN BY Morgan Nelson

GRAPHICS BY Leila Hicks

// Everyone has wondered what they are doing here. When you think about it, each and every person is a seemingly insignificant speck of sand in the hourglass that is humanity. So do the choices people make really matter in the grand scheme of things? It might seem not. However, look at the impact of people in history. Each and every person that you read about in your textbooks made one small, seemingly unimportant choice. Whether it was to help, to heal, to hurt or to change, they all made their choice and while at the time it may have seemed to do nothing, they made a monumental impact on the rest of history. The knowledge of impact is a key part of why it is so important to spread kindness.

While most people understand the importance of spreading kindness as a universal truth, others have forgotten this belief through the weathering of social anxiety. Unfortunately it seems that since the Covid-19 pandemic, social anxiety has been on the rise, making it fairly difficult for the masses to reach out to one another and as a result, kindness has reached an all time low. However, we as a general public need to start working towards a thoroughly communal future. Luckily, there is an international day of observance that can help you think of ways to come together if you let it.

On November 13, the world recognizes World Kindness Day as a way to celebrate and promote acts of kindness through highlighting good deeds in the community, focusing on the power of positivity and the common thread of good that binds us. While this may sound ineffectual,due to a neverending list of wrongdoings being done all around, it is whether or not you are willing to appreciate the good in this world, not to mention add to it, that makes all the difference.

In celebration of this exceedingly important holiday, I found it necessary to highlight the kindness of our very own teachers at Las Lomas, Mrs. Stansbury, Mrs. Polifka, and all members of the sunshine club. I had the privilege to speak with Stansbury in order to learn about this club, where she explained that it is a “feel good club” that staff have the opportunity to join for 25 dollars in order to “support [one another] through things that [they] are going through”. With each member’s donation, they are able to expend that money towards celebrating positive things such as “wedding[s] and babies”, or if need be to support one another through whatever challenges they may be facing. 

While it can be fairly difficult at times to let the good in this world shine through the fog of negativity that the human mind tends to create, this holiday can and should be a reminder to keep your mind open. Let yourself take at least a minute each day to step outside of your worries, your anxieties, your overthinking, and appreciate the good that surrounds you. Consider, if just for a minute, one thing that you can do to bring some positivity into the world. That is what our society needs to do, work together to make this world a better place one step at a time. Let’s make that first step towards a kinder future.